Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont University baseball team sent out their seniors the right way on Senior Day, taking down Eastern Illinois, 5-3, at E.S. Rose Park to remain in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The victory secures a three-game series sweep over the Panthers, who had entered the weekend tied for third in the conference standings.
It's the third sweep of a conference opponent this season for Belmont (35-17, 16-5 OVC), who have now won seven of their last eight games, including six in a row over OVC foes.
John Behrends, who delivered a walk-off home run in the tenth inning on Saturday, provided another game-winning hit on Saturday with his two-RBI go-ahead triple in the bottom of the seventh inning, breaking what had been a 2-2 tie.
Behrends finished 2-for-4 with the triple and three RBIs, the only Bruin to finish with multiple hits. Belmont tallied eight hits on the day, including five doubles and Behrends' triple.
Dusty Baird (W, 1-1) earned the win in relief, tossing 1.2 innings before handing the baton off to Kyle Brennan (SV, 14) who earned his 14th save of the season and his school-record 31st of his career. Brennan is now one save shy of tying the single-season mark of 15, held by Jon Ivie.
Jalen Borders earned a no-decision in his 13th start of the season, going 6.1 innings and scattering eight hits while allowing only two runs with five strikeouts.
Eastern Illinois manufactured a run in the top of the second inning with a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. However, Belmont responded in the bottom of the second inning with back-to-back doubles from Tommy Crider and Logan Jarvis to tie the game at 1-1.
The Bruins took their first lead in the home half of the third inning on a Behrends double to right-center field that scored Carson Shacklett from first base.
The Panthers would tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh and threatend to take the lead on a fly ball to center field that sent the EIU runner from third racing for home. However, Guy Lipscomb's throw got to the plate just in time, allowing Jackson Campbell to apply the tag for the third out and keep the game knotted at 2-2, setting the table for Behrends' big triple to give Belmont the 4-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh.
Lipscomb provided an insurance run with a fly ball to the outfield that allowed Behrends to tag up and score from third, making it a 5-2 ballgame.
Prior to the game, Belmont honored the 13 Bruins who are competing in their final season in the Belmont baseball program: Dusty Baird, John Behrends, Kyle Brennan, Jackson Campbell, Jack Capobianco, Tommy Crider, Sam Hedges, Logan Jarvis, Chandler Schultz, Stone Selby, Carson Shacklett, Joshua South, and Grayson Taylor.
Belmont will make the trek across the state to Knoxville on Tuesday for a highly anticipated date with No. 1 Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+, and live audio play-by-play will be broadcast on the Bruin Sports Network.
